


Fox Otober (will change soon)

by winchesters_detetives_wizards_hobbits



Category: Fantasy - Fandom
Genre: Canon Universe, Constructive Criticism Welcome, F/M, Gen, No Beta, Not Beta Read, Why am I doing this?, tags are stupid, this is my first time sharing this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-02-27 11:03:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2690483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winchesters_detetives_wizards_hobbits/pseuds/winchesters_detetives_wizards_hobbits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a story I've been working on since I was in 8th grade, I've since graduated and I just want this out there. <br/>The story begins with Heather, a young girl who finds a fox in the woods, and meets up with a fellow classmate. They become fast friends and the fox becomes a pet. Heather gets accepted into her uncle's private boarding school overseas and she says goodbye to her classmate, and goes with a longtime friend, whose also been accepted. At the school, she starts to find more and more thing that cause her to believe the old head housekeeper isn't as completely off her rocker as she sounds.... NOT FINISHED, WILL COMPLETE SOON!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

It is October 1, and a young fox is trotting through the woods, looking for food. The

early morning sunlight shines through the fall leaves, casting a golden glow to his already gold-red coat. He spies a chipmunk, and, with a quick pounce, grabs it in his jaws. Licking the blood off his muzzle, he finishes the small rodent, and continues to his destination, the stream. As he reaches the Black Trail, he hides behind a bush, and listens for the sounds of Fire Birds. Hearing nothing, he scurries from the woods, across the Black Trail, and onto the field. Just as his paws touch the side of the field's bank, a big yellow Fire Bird rolls by, slowing down so the strange two-legs can see him. He quickly slips into the tall grass of the field, and makes his way to the two-leg’s trail. The big, wide one that the two-legs sometimes walk on, and take their little Fire Birds on. As he is lopping down the trail, he smells something that makes the chipmunk in his stomach turn, and his hackles raise. A smell that is as black as the raven, and means the same, death. He smells human.

***

A young girl is standing on a bridge, staring into the water. She is watching the ripples of

her tear drops as they hit the water on her distorted reflection. Her nose, covered with a light

dusting of freckles, is wet with the tears that run uncontrollably down it. The old, covered

wooden bridge stands alone over the stream that the fox is headed to. Her dark brown hair is

damp, and the sun makes small strands of red and gold stand out like the tear stains on her shirt,

and the red swelling of her eyes. She is too upset to see the small fox carefully edging toward the

water, trying to get a drink. As she looks up, she does not see the fox freeze in motion, one paw raised, ready to flee. She only has eyes for the weeping willow, the one tree that reflects her mood, surrounded by silver birch trees, with a tangle of honeysuckle, foxglove, and blackberry bushes around their trunks, forming a perfect semicircle of soft grass at the weeping willow’s base. She smiles through her tears, wishing that she could sit there right now, and tell all her problems to the willow tree, holding onto the soft-looking grass. She lets her gaze wander, and comes to rest on a small fox, barely more that a cub, drinking from the stream. The fox must feel her gaze rest on him, because he looks up, and his golden eyes hold her brown ones. For that moment, her sadness and pain are washed away with the brook, then the fox quietly turns and vanishes into the undergrowth, and the grief is back in her veins like fire.

***

The fox sees the human, yet he does not feel the need to run away from her. She does not

feel threatening, nor does she look it. Then something strange comes over the young fox. He feels

like he needs to comfort her, to lick her tears away, and to make her make the happy chirping

noises that two legs make when they are happy. He turns, and slips away into the woods, and goes

up to the bridge. When he sits at the edge of the bridge, he wants to spring into her arms. He

never anticipated this, nor had he ever wanted a home other than that he had in the bushes. He

sometimes sees dogs wearing strange bits of cloth around their necks, and he wonders if he will

get one of those too. The fox trots over to her, looks up with big gold eyes, and sits about three feet from her. She does not notice. He takes a few steps closer, watching the water cascade down her cheeks. Whimpering, he nudges her leg. Startled, the girl looks down, and takes a frightened step back when she sees the little animal looking up at her. A startled tear falls from her eye, and lands on the dirty wood. The fox sniffs it, and looks up at the girl again, whimpering, and takes a hesitant

step forward, putting his paw on the tear drop. She looks at him, and places her hand out to him,

thinking that he is lost, but he is far from that. Even so, he reaches his nose out, and places his

muzzle in the palm of her hand.

“Good fox.” The girl says in a wavering voice. A warm feeling spreads over the fox, at the

same time the girl sees someone coming up the path. The fox hears it too.

“Don’t bite me, OK, I’m going to have pick you up.” The fox cannot resist the music of

her voice, so unlike the ones of the men that are usually on the trail, harsh and gruff. He jumps

into her arms, and buries his face in her sweet, rain washed hair.

***

The girl sees more clearly the person that is walking the path. His head is bowed, he

wears a red blazer, and stone-washed jeans with tan hiking boots. The girl knows this boy, having

seen him at school a few times. It is strange, because he is one of the more popular kids in the

school, strait As, perfect attendance, and the best linebacker the football team has ever seen. His

sandy brown/blond hair is wet, clinging to his face. Also, his blazer and pants are torn and

muddy. The laces of one of his boots is undone and trailing in the dirt, yet he does not stop to tie

it. The girl quickly turns around before the boy can recognize her. She pretends to stare out

the side of the bridge, wondering what could explain his state. He walks onto the bridge, and she

can see a cut on his nose, reaching all the way over his cheek, and curving up to meet the edge of

his eye. It is still bleeding, and she can see that it is very deep. He looks up, catching her eye, and

she sees dark, heavy circles under them, and a split lip, slightly crusted over. He walks up to her,

standing no more than three feet away. She suddenly is aware that her eyes must be puffy and red,

and that she is holding a fox.

***

The fox feels tension and fear in the girl’s body, and snuggles deeper into the girls hood,

which is covered in a strange fuzz. He licks her neck, and he feels her heartbeat slow.

***

The girl feels an unexpected wetness on her neck, almost smiles, and she knows that the

fox is just fine.

“Hello Stefan.” She says, not all that sure that he heard her. Although he must have

because he look at her again.

“Hey, Heather, how's it going?” He replies. His voice sounds rough and scratchy, and

cracks twice.

“Oh, uh, not much.”

“Hey, what happened to your eyes? They look kind of swollen.” Stefan asks, looking

concerned.

“Um, do they?” ‘Crap!’ Thinks Heather. 'He noticed!' “Nothing really, I just got a little upset,

and came out here to calm down. Nothing big” Heather tries to say in a passably cheerful voice.

“What happened to you by the way, you look like you got ran over by a truck.”

“Oh, that,” Stefan replies, ruffling the back of his hair. “Yea, um, well. Hey!” He

exclaims. “Is that a fox!?”

***

The fox hears a shout, and is startled. He lifted his head a fraction of an inch, and feels

the girl’s heartbeat skyrocket. He hears her saying things, things that confuse him. He puts his

paws on her chest, and licks her chin trying to calm her down. The move unsettles him, and he

starts to tumble out of her arms, feeling the cold rush of air on his fur. She catches him, but then

sets him down, petting him in a hesitant, though reassuring way. He looks up at her, and gives a

yip. A small smile blossoms on her startled, fearful face, and she tries to give an identical yip. He

looks up at the boy’s face, trying to find the scent of blood that is congesting the air. He sees a

large gash across his face, and blood slowly oozing down his cheek. The girl wraps her arms

around his midsection, and scoops him up.

***

“This is Todd. And, yes, he is a fox.” She says to him, watching his mouth drop with an

air of satisfaction and smugness in her voice.

“So, what did happen to you?” Heather questions again. Stefan looks out the side of the

bridge, debating whether to tell her or not.

“Look, I don’t want this to get out, but my dad was drunk again last night, when we had

that storm, and I had to run for it. My mom was safe, so she’s the least of my worries, and, long

story short, I don’t think that I’m going back home any time soon.”

“Oh, are you OK?”

“Yea, I’m, I’m fine.”

“Oh, OK. If you want, you can come to my house and call your mom to let her know

that you’re all right.”

“Oh, Thanks. And can I wash my face too, it feels all sticky.”

“Yea, and your face feels sticky because you’re bleeding.”

“Crud! Thats what’s stinging my face.” Stefan says, chuckling.

***

When they arrive at Heather’s house, her mother bursts out of the door, and flings her

arms around her. Stefan looks on with jealousy, wishing his mother was like that. She would

probably just ground him, and he would try to tidy his already spotless room, then start cleaning

the house inside and out, just for something to do.

“Oh my baby! Where have you been, I've been so worried.” Heather’s mother exclaims.

She looks at the little fox in her arms, and her heart melts. Then a stern look comes across her

face.  

“Hun, is the fox hurt? Because you know the rule.”

“If we are treating animals, the pets have to wait.” Heather chanted. By now, she could

recite the line in her sleep. “Yes, I know, I can’t bring an animal home unless he needs to be treated. But mom, he’s fine, and he walked right up to me, and he licked me, then let me pick him up!”

      “ You WHAT!? You know that you never to pick up a wild animal, even if it comes up to you! What where you thinking? And, while we are asking questions, who is this?” Heather’s mother asks her, looking at Stefan with a reproachful glance. He shuffled his feet, knowing that the cut on his face was probably very misleading.

“Yes, I know that, but it was like with you and Scarlet mom, I just didn’t have a choice!

And by the way, mom, this is Stefan Hutchinson. He’s goes to school with me.”

“Hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He says.

“Oh, why thank you young man. Hun, can you put him away and help me, I've got a

wolverine with porcupine quills in it’s jaws. Good heavens, what will happen next?” Heathers

mother says to her, understanding immediately what her daughter means about not having a

choice.

***

Later that night, after Stefan had left, and the wolverine had his snout de-quilled, Heather

goes into her room, and took Todd with her.

“Hey boy, this is going to be your new home. I hope that you are going to be happy here.”

Heather set him on the hardwood floor, next to an oversize tub of cat litter. A basket with a

red cushion was next to bowl of water, and a dish of food. He takes a sniff of the food, and

perked his ears. Taking an experimental lick of the food, Heather sees that his tongue had blue

on it. ‘Wow, he’s special! His tongue is blue!’ She thought, making a mental note to ask her mom what that meant.

***

Todd looks up from his food, and he watches the girl leave the room. He sees a giant thing

in the middle of the room. He jumps up on it, and yelps in alarm as he sinks into Heathers

bedspread.

***

Heather rushes into the room, and giggles as she sees Todd’s ears wiggling around while

he tries to get out of the bedspread. She scoops him up, and sets him on his cushion.

“This is for you, that one is for me silly boy.” Heather giggles. Todd gives her a sheepish

expression, and looked suspiciously at the bed, which now had a dent in the center, showing

where he had sunk into the comforter.


	2. 2

As the days went on, Heather became more and more content, Stefan came over every

day, and they played games with Todd, teaching him how to play fetch, and how to play Frisbee.

Soon after that they were able to buy a handsome yellow collar for him, and a matching leash.

Halloween drew near, and Heather and Stefan, now virtually inseparable, spent long hours in the

den working on their costumes. Stefan was going as a werewolf, and Heather was just putting on a

pair of Stefan’s clothes.

“Why do you want to wear my clothes? I mean, you could go as anything, and you’re

going to wear my clothes?”

“Yea, and I want to wear your flannel shirt, and your gray sweat pants.”

“Why?” Stefan asked. He just hoped she would not ask to come over any time soon.

“Because you look great in sweats and a flannel shirt! I love them, so, can you wash them,

and get them here tomorrow? I can finish your costume for you.” Heather tempted. She knew

how much he hated sewing and painting, the only things he wasn’t good at.

“Oh all right. Heather Schwartz, you are such a briber.” Stefan gave up with a chuckle.

“I know.” Heather said.

***

The days passed and shortened, and Todd met all sorts of creatures, from a grumpy squirrel, to

his old friend Mr. Badger. He knew from past experience when to be near him, and when to stay

clear, and it was a joyful visit for the old animal. But one day, a change came to the clinic.

***

Heather was dashing down the twisting marble staircase, when she heard her mothers

voice. She stopped dead, earning a pounding crash against her back leg from Todd.

“I don’t know what happened, one thing I was driving across the bridge then the next I

was swerving into a tree to avoid hitting a fox!” A strange voice floated up from the clinic.

“Yes, they sometimes do that. The good news is, you only clipped her hind leg and side,

but she will have to stay here for a while.” Heather heard her moms reply. Knowing that Stefan

would be here any second, she slipped quietly outside, Todd trailing her like her shadow. She met

Stefan outside at the start of the road, and told him that they had better hang around outside

because her mom was operating on an animal.

“She is really short when she is operating. If you open the door, and she’s in there,”

Heather paused to shutter. “It would not be good.”

“Yikes, sounds bad.”

“Only if she’s operating. If she’s just cleaning, then she’s fine. What about you, what does

your mom do.”

“Uh, she works at a company, but she gets transferred and promoted so often, I stopped

trying to remember when position she worked in when I was three.” Stefan said. He hoped she

would fall for the feeble lie. He didn’t want her to come over and start asking about her work, but

he did want her to think that he had a good life.

“Wow, that kinda sucks.” Heather said sympathetically. Startled, Stefan asked why she

thought so.

“Well, she must never be around, and you must not get to see her much. I mean, you must

get lonely.”

“I was. But since I started hanging out with you, I’ve had a lot more to do. Hey, can I ask

what happened to your dad? I mean, I know you have one, I was just wondering why he wasn’t at

home.” Stefan asked. Heather’s face crumpled, then fixed into a hard mask. Resentment and hate

filled her eyes. Stefan was about to say that he shouldn't have said anything, seeing that he had hit

a nerve.

“He left.” Her voice is as toneless and icy as the Arctic plains.

***

Heather felt like she has just been kicked in the stomach by a horse. The very mention of

her father was enough to send her over the top. She saw Stefan’s face jolt with shock at her, and

her stomach filled with terror. It would be just what she needed if Stefan went into school and

told everyone about her, and Todd.

“I’m so sorry Stefan, that's just a touchy subject with me. It’s even worse with my mom,”

Heather took a deep breath to steady herself, and said “He left when I was three months old. And

my mom had no money. To make things worse, he died in a plane crash a month later.” And no

more than he deserved. “Mom got a ton of money, but she had a hard time functioning for months

after that. My grandparents had to take me so Mom could wake up. Then she started her rescue

center for wild animals. It happened because she was driving, and she hit a bear cub. The pour

thing had it’s leg cut open. She was a little ways from the house, but she picked up the bear cub,

brought it home, and bandaged it’s leg. In two weeks it was healed, and when she went outside,

the mother was right there at the tree line, waiting for her baby. Mom said she gave she cub one

parting pat, and stepped away. The little thing ran to it’s mother, and she looked at mum with

such gratification, that mom found her place in the world again.”

Stefan was silent for a moment, then he whispered wow under his breath. What I wouldn’t

give for a mom like that, even for one day. He thought with gut wrenching despair.

***

Todd was listening to Heather’s voice flow through the air like water over smooth river

rocks. He heard the boy talk to his Heather, and she responded. He crawled onto her lap, feeling

left out, and she immediately started to gush out praises and love to him. She kissed and hugged

his face, and he shot a smug look at the boy. He did not like it when he stole his Heather from

him.

***

Todd made his usual rounds in the clinic area, his bell jingling on his collar, seeing who

was new. Then he saw Vixie. Vixie was a female fox, and was the most beautiful thing Todd had

ever laid eyes on. He was secretly grateful for all the hours Heather had spent grooming him, and

bathing him, making his coat gleam. He was no longer thin and scraggly, but full and well

muscled from running and play wrestling with Heather and the boy.

“Hey Vixie, fancy seeing you here.” Todd said. His voice had went from it’s pathetic

squeak to a full, deep rumble. Vixie lifted her head. Her eyes flew over Todd, lingering on his

collar.

“Hey, and fancy seeing you here too, especially with a two-leg’s rope on your neck.” She

said, her voice was just as Todd remembered it, like the soft bubbling of a stream.

“I missed seeing you around the woods.” She said somewhat shyly.

“Oh, really? I didn’t know anyone would even notice, you know, until winter, when they

were all hunting, and had families.” Todd confessed, pleased that she had noticed his absence.

“Of course,” Vixie said sounding shocked. “I missed you more than even Hunter or Orion

did!”

“Wow.”

“What?”

“Well, you’re Vixie Tracker, and I'm Todd Schwartz.”

“So?”

“So? You are the most beautiful, gorges, skillful fox in the universe! I’m surprised you even

knew me enough to know that I was missing, let alone enough to care!” Then Todd realized what

he had just said, and he blushed with embarrassment.

“Todd,” Vixie says, giggling her tinkling giggle that was music more so than rain on the

river. “You really think that I am pretty, and skillful? Well, I can barely catch a rabbit! Yea, you

heard me, I can barely catch a rabbit! Te he, I saw you take down a person!”

“She’s my human, my Heather.

“What?” All laughter was gone from her slim face. “You belong to a HUMAN!? Are you

insane!? Have you gone crazy!? You can’t belong to a human and still be a fox.” The last words

were harsh and cold.

***

Heather was walking with Stefan on the bridle path, looking at the bare trees and

laughing about a teacher at school.

“I know, but did you see his tie, pink with light blue hearts, I mean come on, how much

more girly can you get?” Heather was giggling so much that she had to stop talking to breath.

“Well, at least you didn’t have a sub that has to have had shattered his nose because it’s

flatter than a pancake!”

“Oh my gosh, you’re going to make me crack a rib I’m laughing so hard! Stop!” Heather

pleaded. Stefan agreed, and they walked in silence for a few minutes.

“I can’t believe that it’s almost Valentine's Day, and that they are going to have a dance.”

Heather said after a minute.

“Yea, it’s like they think that we would go.” Stefan said scornfully.

“Oh.” Heather’s face fell a tiny notch.

“What? Did you want to go.”

“Well, I was just thinking that it would be fun, and I’m not going to be here in another

week so,”

“Wait, what? You’re not going to be here? Why?” Stefan’s heart stopped, and then took

off.

“I’m moving, to England. I got a scholarship to go to a really amazing riding academy,

called Goldburn. My mom wants me to go, and I would compete all over Europe!” Heather said

excitedly. “It wouldn’t cost me a dime because my uncle is the headmaster. His horse had

ligaments and my mom saved him. So, now he wants me to go to Goldburn! Isn’t it great!”

“You’re what? You can’t go to a boarding school in England! I’d never see you!”

“You don’t understand Stefan, Goldburn is famous for turning out legendary riders. And

only best can get into Goldburn, because it costs over 10,000 dollars for one semester, but to get a

scholarship from Goldburn, you have to be, like, pre-Olympian! Sometimes even that's not

enough! This is a really big deal for me, and I thought that you would be happy, but I guess I

can’t really expect a city boy to realize this.” Heather snapped, shocked that he didn’t realize how

happy this made her, and a little ticked off that he didn’t want her to go. Then an idea popped in

to her head, ‘He doesn’t want me to go, he wants me to stay here, with him!’

“Well, I guess this ‘city boy’ will just watch a perfect rider go off to a fancy boarding

school in England.” Stefan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Wait, Stefan! I’m sorry, its just, this is a really big deal for me. I have a chance to start

over, to be somebody. I finally have my chance to shine. No matter what, I’m going to Goldburn.

But you will always be my best friend, and I'll miss you like crazy, but I’m going to live in

England.”

“What if I told you that,” Stefan pauses, wondering if he is really going to say this out

loud, just to get her to stay, if he was really going to spill his guts to a girl, or if it would even

make her want to stay.

“What if I told you that I love you?”

***

Heathers face heats up, and she looks away, her honey brown hair covering her face. She

can feel every pulse in her veins, and she hears each beat echo in her head.

“Well, that would change things.” She whispers. How many times has she dreamed that

this moment would come, but now it was here and she was totally terrified.

“Would you stay, with me?” Stefan asks her, looking her full in the face.

“No.” Heather says, her voice sounds horrified, and she is surprised, because she does

want to stay with him, but she knows her heart would not allow it. “Stefan, I have to go to

Goldburn.”

“No, you don’t! You can stay here with me, and we could be together. I just don’t want

you to go.” The last sentence was almost a plea.

“Stefan, I can’t deal with this right now.” Heather said, her eyes filling with tears. She

turns and runs away down the trail. She makes a sharp turn, then falls as she trips over a rock.

She stays on the ground and bursts into tears, sobbing so hard her entire body shakes with the

convulsions. She feels a hand on her shoulder, and flinches away. Someone pulls her up, and lays

her head on their chest. The scent of peppermint, clove and horse washes over her. She looked up,

expecting to see Stefan, but it is Michael Weaver.

“Thought you left for England?” He says, trying to sound like he couldn't care less, but his

smile gives him away. The boy wraps his arms round Heather’s tiny frame.

“What are you doing here? You and D should have left for Goldburn last week!” Heather

says, pressing her face into his shoulder.

“I told Mr. Dowel that I wanted to start with you, so, he said it was fine.”

“Thank you!” Heather’s words were muffled by Michael's shoulder, and he laughed.

“Heather? Heather! Oh my god! Are you Ok? I saw you fall then…” Stefan stopped.

“Who’s he?”

                                                             ***

Lying on his pillow in the house, Todd remembers over what Vixie said.

“I can be a real fox, I'll show her.” He thought, and settled down for a nap.

***

“Stefan, this is Michael. He’s going to be going to Goldburn with me, but I think you

already know each other?”

“No.” The both says at the same time. Stefan glares at Michael, and Michael shoots him

a look, and tightens his hold on Heathers waist.

“Ow! Take it easy Mike, that hurts!”

“Oh, sorry.” He relaxes his grip, but Heather wiggles closer to him. Stefan watches with envy.

“Is he why you’re going to Goldburn?”

“No, Stefan. I’m going to England because I got a scholarship, and because I want to go.

I promise I'll write you a letter every week.”

“You better!”

“You’ll be sick of my updates by week three!”

“Not a chance.” Stefan chuckled.

“Hey, Heather, we better be getting back, your mom is going to start worrying.”

“No, she won't, she knows that I’m with Stefan, so she’s fine.”

“Oh. But we still need to go and pack. We leave next week, remember? Oh, and you need

to get Todd.” Stefan jumps at the mention of the fox’s name.

“Oh! Yes, thank you Mike.” Heather starts running down the path, and shouts over her

shoulder “I owe you one!”

“I'll keep that in mind!” Michael yells after her.

“So, you known Heather long?” Stefan asks, hoping that he would say no.

“Yea, since like, before kindergarten. We meet at the stable, because we took riding

lessons together. Why?” Michael chuckles at the memories of him and Heather on little miniatures.

“Just wondering why she was going to a riding school with you. But, judging by the smell,

its not surprising that you would be found hanging around with animals.” Stefan sneers.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Heather would choose me over you in a heartbeat, and

look, she already has! So just back off jock.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat horse boy?”

“No, merely a warning. But all the same, don’t do anything to mess with Heather, her self esteem

is pretty fragile.” Mike starts to walk away, then Stefan says

“Hey, horse boy. Just make sure that she can pick whoever she wants, don’t try to

manipulate her, she’s way too smart for that.”

“Did you just figure that out?”


End file.
